Do a shot for pristine waterways! Organic vodka is the new trend, with pesticide-free libations comin’ at ya from the Left Coast, the high Rockies, paradise, and the Great Lakes, not to mention Piedmont, Italy.
With so many premium vodkas going organic, I’ve got to wonder why anybody would be drinking the conventional stuff. Competition is so fierce that companies are fighting to to see who can score the most eco-points.
Tru, from California claims to plant a tree for every bottle of vodka it sells, uses 25 percent less glass than traditional bottles in its packaging, and packs in fold-together boxes that don’t require any tape. The company also references every new-age term possible on its website to prove its merit (”organic,” “sustainable,” “renewable”…).
360 Vodka uses recycled glass, among other things, to “save the world.” The firm also uses biodiesel in its on-site operations, and “purchased renewable energy certificates” to “offset electricity and natural gas consumption” for the next three years, though I’m not sure I comprehend what that means. But its commitment to use CFLs, environmentally friendly cleaning products, and Energy-Star rated appliances is simple to comprehend and laudable.
Some moves seem a bit gimmicky. Vodka 14 bakes ceramic pigments onto the bottle in lieu of plastic-laced labeling. Since most vodkas I have the ability to think of use some paperless, plastic-less labeling, I’m not sure that puts this one ahead of the competition, but the main boast is about what’s inside the bottle.
Since big amounts of grain (wheat, rye, sorghum, or corn, among others) or potatoes or beets are used in the production of America’s most popular distilled spirit, the benefits of devoting all of that cropland to pesticide-free, petro-fertilizer-free production are enormous. Think of all the agricultural runoff that’ll go into waterways blissfully devoid of toxins.
I propose a toast to this new generation of responsible corporate citizens. Drink up!
Jay Weinstein’s blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.
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